Page 439 - Chinese pottery and porcelain : an account of the potter's art in China from primitive times to the present day

Nineteenth Century Porcelains 267

Hsien Feng J^^ (1851-1861)

In the third year of Hsien Feng the T'ai p'ing rebels captured
Ching-te Chen and burnt down the Imperial factory, which was not
rebuilt till 1864. The potters themselves were killed or scattered

;

and, naturally, marked examples of this reign are scarce. Such,

however, as do exist are of little account, and may be regarded as
continuations of the Tao Kuang manufacture. Bushell ^ mentions

vases of good form painted in soft colours with nine five- clawed
dragons on a white background, which is etched in the paste with
scrolled waves, and a dinner service of bowls, cups and saucer dishes
painted in colours with processional figures of the eighteen Lohan.

And in the British Museum there is a large globular bowl on a high

foot painted with green dragon designs and a bowl with medallions
of lanterns and vases separated by lotus ornament, neither of which

are in any way different from the Tao Kuang wares. No doubt a
good deal of porcelain was made at the private factories even during

this troubled period, but the specimens which I have seen are not

worthy of description.

^^Tung Chih (1862-1873)

When the T'ai p'ing rebels had been expelled from the province

of Kiangsi by the celebrated viceroy, Li Hung-chang, in 1864, the
Imperial factory was rebuilt on the old lines by the new director,

Ts'ai Chin-ch'ing. In the same year a list of the porcelain forwarded
to the Emperor was drawn up, and it is published in the Chiang

hsi Vung chih^ immediately, after Hsieh ,Min's list. It consists
mainly of bowls, wine and tea cups, saucer dishes and plates classified

as yiian ch'i (round ware), and a few^ vases under the general heading,

cho chH ; and though there is little originality in the designs, lists
of this kind are so rare and so instructive that I have no hesitation
in giving it in full below, following Bushell's ^ renderings in most

cases.

Actual examples of T'ung Chih porcelain are not inspiring. Those

in the British Museum include a covered bowl with coloured sprays

in a ground of red diaper ; a bowl wuth enamelled sprays on a pale
brown (tzii chin) glaze ; a saucer with dragons etched under a trans-
parent green glaze, the exterior in unglazed biscuit painted in black ;
a cup with red dragons in a ground of black enamel and the cyclical

1 0. C. A., p. 470. 2 Bk. 93, fols. 13-15. ^ 0. C. A., pp. 474-83.